


The Greatest Gift

by Jacqualine



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Advent Calendar, F/M, Kindred Spirits Advent Calendar, Sad on Christmas, Through the Years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:13:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27920575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacqualine/pseuds/Jacqualine
Summary: Day Six of the Kindred Spirits Advent Calendar - A Two Part Story of Christmas through the eyes of Bash.
Relationships: Mary Lacroix/Sebastian ''Bash'' Lacroix
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29
Collections: Kindred Spirits Advent Calendar





	1. Chapter 1

Bash hid in the dense trees and bushes that surrounded the plantation and cried. His mother had caught him watching the children of the family she served. They were on the floor opening boxes and boxes of toys, wrapped with colourful paper and bright bows, dolls, rocking horses, bows and arrows, puzzles and more thrown aside in an instant while the next present was torn open.

Bash's only Christmas present that day was a swat to his bottom, followed by a sweet roll his mother snuck for him to eat outside. He knew inside the big house, they would be eating rich meats, candied vegetables, fried fish and several different cakes and puddings. All he would have is the sweet roll and some soup his mother would scrape together for them both. He hated them, those rich, white people who took all of his mother's love and attention. Father Christmas never found him here, never brought him a present. He hated Christmas, it was a day for wealthy, powerful people...not for people like him. 

Bash's first Christmas on the SS Primrose was just another day. A day where he shoveled coal and threw it into the fires to power the ship. He barely even noticed that the festive day had arrived until it was chow time and they were served some sort of stuffing, along with the usual boiled vegetables and fish they usually ate, for dessert they each got a pudding with nuts and dried fruit inside of it. 

Later while he hung in his bunk, eyes closed as he tried not to think about his mother and what she would be doing on this day, one of his fellow stokers pulled out a bottle of brandy and he shared it around, while the other men sang Christmas carols, Bash took a swig from the bottle whenever it went by him, hoping the brandy would help him sleep and forget how very lonely he was, and how much he hated the day.

He shook his head as the kid wrapped his hands with strips of cloth, he had cut from a shirt. The kid's hands were a mess of broken and bleeding blisters, but in the few weeks he had been there, he hadn't stopped working and he hadn't complained once. Bash had wanted to ignore those sad eyes, and keep his own head down, just trying to earn more money for whatever future he would have when he got off this forsaken ship, but something in him was drawn to the skinny kid. It was more than the kid was his bunk mate, more than they worked side by side, stoking the fires, it was the grief and loneliness he recognized in the kid's eyes. 

"Tomorrow is Christmas." The kid said. Was it? Bash had again failed to pay attention to the calendar.

"Just another day on the ship." Bash informed him.

"It will be my first...without my father." The kid said. Bash's first instinct was to tell the kid to grow up and move on. Bash's own father had never been around. He knew the kids old man had died just the month before. 

"You'll enjoy dinner at least. We always get a Christmas pudding."

They worked through the entire Christmas Day, ate in silence during dinner and then headed back to their bunks. Once there, the kid got settled into bed and Bash began looking through his bag of personal items before pulling something out. He turned to the kid and handed it to him. "Merry Christmas Gilbert." It wasn't much, he was able to buy a tin of lemon drops off one of the porters. The kid looked up at him, his big, sad eyes glazed with tears.

"Merry Christmas Bash." He grinned before he open the tin and popped on in his mouth, reaching his hand out and offering one to Bash.  
As the tart candy melted on his tongue, Bash thought Christmas wasn't so bad.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Eight of the Kindred Spirits Advent Calendar - Bash starts to enjoy Christmas.

Bash was starting to like Christmas. Spending Christmas Eve with the Cuthberts had been nicer than he had anticipated. When Marilla Cuthbert had appeared at their door and invited Gilbert for dinner, he hadn't really expected to be included in the invitation, despite Gilbert's pointed look at Marilla, but she had offered, and he had accepted. He wouldn't have missed it for the world, not only for the chance to have some decent food, he and Gilbert were terrible at cooking, but for the chance to meet Anne. The girl Gilbert didn't realise he talked about a lot, the girl Gilbert didn't realise he was in love with. He also couldn't wait to tease Gilbert endlessly about Anne. 

What a strange and wondrous child she had been. Hair shorn shorter than his or Gilbert's, not that the look on Gilbert's face hinted that he noticed her less than fashionable hairstyle, he had looked like an angel was in his presence, but she had been so warm and accepting of Bash, asking him numerous questions and oblivious to Bash's teasing of Gilbert. Bash decided right then and there she was his second favourite person in Avonlea, right after Gilbert. The feasted on roasted meats and vegetables, fresh baked biscuits and desserts. They went home with leftovers too, they would have enough food for the next two days. 

The next morning he and Gilbert had exchanged gifts, long underwear and warm woolen socks for Bash, which he hadn't even known existed, but the way they kept some heat next to his skin was a true gift from God. Bash had bought Gilbert's Christmas present when they had docked in New York before continuing north to Halifax and Charlottetown, a proper shaving kit, the kid had scraggly whiskers now and had been using Bash's kit to groom himself. 

Later they went to a crazy Christmas performance with the Reverend dressed as a lady, Anne dressed as a boy, someone dressed as Queen Victoria, and some sort of evil lobster. 

It was the best Christmas he ever had. 

Mary loved Christmas. She insisted on a Christmas tree, he and Gilbert had found one in the woods nearby and chopped it down. Gilbert had found the box of his family's decorations and combined with Mary's they had a tree filled with bulbs, fans, ribbons and bows and of course popcorn chains. Bash had seen more elegant trees, in the home of the people his mother still served, in Paris and London, but he knew this one was simply the prettiest tree that ever existed. 

Because she was so heavily pregnant, Marilla insisted that they come to Green Gables for dinner, not only on Christmas Eve but they next day for a late lunch. She had swollen ankles, and her back hurt, but Mary made a special Christmas cake for dessert. They all feasted as they had the previous Christmas and Bash felt so much love in his heart for his family, that included, not only Mary, Gilbert and the baby in her stomach, but Matthew, Marilla and Anne. They had treated his with kindness, respect and equality the entire time they had known him. He recognized what a rare gift they were.

On Christmas morning they exchanged presents. Gilbert giving Mary a small jewelry box that played music, from him Bash received a work knife in a leather sheath. They gifted Gilbert with a sweater Mary had knitted, as well as a new pair of leather gloves. Mary had spoiled Bash, knitting him a new sweater as well, she got him a warm housecoat and embroidered his initials on a pair of fur lined slippers. He was glad he had splurged and got her a cameo brooch. She had smiled her wide luminous smile and he had fallen in love with her even more. 

That night they lay in bed, his arms around her, stroking a hand over the child growing in her belly. "You are the greatest gift I ever received Mary." He whispered to her.

Every day without her seemed impossible in the beginning. He wanted to lay in bed and cry, but he had a baby and a farm to look after. He relied on Gilbert, Anne, Marilla and Rachel a lot in the first days. Some days seemed impossible, his feet could not possibly move, his heart could not continue to beat. He didn't even have a picture of her, by the time he realised he would have no lasting image of her, it was too late and she was hours from her death. He committed to memory, the way her eyes tilted when she smiled, the elegant shape of her neck and cheek, he wanted to be able to tell Delphine exactly what her mother looked like.

Other days it would take him several minutes before he remembered to be sad. Warm sunny days when the birds were singing and he could hear Hazel singing to Dellie in french. Then the loss would hit him like it was fresh and the wounds would bleed again, guilt washing over him. What right did he have to find joy, when Mary was gone, her life ending far too soon? It was like a betrayal to her love and light.

She wouldn't want that, she would want him to live and be happy, she told him so near the end. So he tried. He took Dellie on outings and visits and he socialized with those he cared about. 

When Gilbert came back from Toronto for Christmas break, he took Bash and Elijah out to hunt for the perfect Christmas tree, and then together with Hazel and little Dellie watching rapturously they hung the ornaments. That year they hosted the Cuthberts for Christmas Eve dinner, Bash grinning as he watched Gilbert and Anne, so obviously in love and not longer hiding it.

"One day Dellie, Auntie Anne and Uncle Gilby will give you some cousins to play with." He told the little girl as he tucked her into bed. 

"Tomorrow when you wake up, you will find your stocking has been filled by Father Christmas, and he will leave you a wonderful present."

There would be new clothes made by Hazel, Marilla and Rachel, new toys made by Bash, Elijah and Matthew, Gilbert had bought a doll in Toronto for her and the little girl of course loved it, holding it close and giving it kisses. Bash had spent hours carving and then decorating a little rocking horse for her to ride. At nearly a year old she had the strength and balance to sit in it and rock it back and forth, chortling with laughter, easing some of the ache in his heart. Even Muriel Stacey had visited them for Christmas Day lunch and brought a slate with some chalk for the little girl to scribble on.

Seeing Delphine happy, safe and contented, made him feel happier. The loss of Mary would always tug at his soul, but he would always make sure that Delphine knew she was loved on Christmas Day.


End file.
